Post-Roman Peasant Life
Homes The common person lived in a home of wattle and daub walls, mud with small sticks and straw mixed in to provide stability. They were also used for most buildings, including the king's hall, barn, craft shops, and homes. The only structure which did not use wattle and daub were granaries. This was because the materials were locally available. Though regularly worn down with rain, hail, or by handling, buildings constructed of wattle and daub could just as easily be repaired. Thatching was the traditional type of roofing in Britain. Thatching involved constructing a wooden frame. Bundles of straw would then be tied together into a "yelm" using a "spar" made from twisted hazel sticks. Maintenence was a matter of adding another "spar" layer. Homes were normally two stories for reasons of practicality. Their animals - chicken, cattle, and even horses were kept at ground level while the family slept on the second level. Beekeeping was a well-respected and sought-after profession in post-Roman Britain. LawsEdit There are a great many laws pertaining to bees and beekeeping, suggesting it held a central place in Celtic and Germanic society. UsesEdit Honey, the chief product of beekeeping, was used mainly in the production of bragawt and mead. A camisa was generally an undershirt, to be worn by males and females close to the skin. Among the upper levels of society, seeing the camisa in public had the same erotic connotations as underwear does today. Among the lower classes such as peasants, the camisa would be the only shirt worn. MaterialsEdit Camisae were plain, undyed shirts among the lower class usually made of linen. A wealthy individual might be able to afford a softer fabric. ToolsEdit * Mouldboard Plow: The primary tool of a farmer was the plow. It was used to create furrows for planting. Sickle: Used for reaping grain. Scythe: Used for cutting grass. PracticeEdit Plows were not very heavy, so that the furrows were not very deep. That meant that not much of the soil was turned upside down, and new, fertile soil was not used. To make up for failing soil fertility, medieval farmers practiced field rotation. For every three fields, one would be devoted to a summer crop, one to a winter crop, and one would lie fallow. FarmsEdit The average farm was about 30 acres. These were divided into half-acre strips to be found throughout their lord's manor so that each person had access to the best and worst land on the manor. Normal yield was 8 or 9 bushels of grain per acre. LivestockEdit A farmer could have any of a number of animals - chickens, cattle, horses, oxen, or pigs. These were all much smaller than our modern equivalents. Without specific breeding practices of the contemporary world, the farm animals of the fifth century may have been as much as 30% smaller than today's animals. Common LandEdit Non-tillable soil was considered common land. A farmer could bring his animals there to graze, take a portion of its hay and wood Design The plow was made primarily of wood, with an iron blade as the tilling implement. The metal was not thick, and the design was light, so that it was unable to turn over fresh soil. A carpenter referred to any person who worked with wood for a living. Specific TypesEdit * Buildings: An individual capable of building and maintaining any number of structures. * Furniture Builder: A builder of chairs, tables, and utensils. * Shipbuilder: A person capable of designing and building the basic cwrwgl or larger ships.